


Night In The Woods ♕ BTS AU

by cutieharkness



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Blood and Violence, Character Death, Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Gay, F/M, First Time, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Near Death Experiences, Night in the Woods - Freeform, Nitw, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Violence, except the Janitor lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-05 17:29:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11018145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutieharkness/pseuds/cutieharkness
Summary: "Don't panic," Jungkook starts, his voice low and shaking, "but I think, maybe, we're all going to die soon." The room is silent, the only sound coming from the old SNES that Hoseok had been playing for days. Jin clears his throat, and suddenly all eyes are on him."Everyone dies eventually, Kookie," he states, matter-of-factly, but Jungkook doesn't miss the tone of fear hidden deep beneath the words. "You're just going to die sooner if you don't keep living."// or the one where Jungkook quits college to go back home and relax, but everything goes wrong when Namjoon ends up missing.[ slow updates ; this story is going to be really long so pls let me off the hook,, ]





	1. Preface

 

 **NIGHT IN THE WOODS**  
**Story by:** syeongyeom

 

♕

 

_"Don't panic," Jungkook starts, his voice low and shaking, "but I think, maybe, we're all going to die soon." The room is silent, the only sound coming from the old SNES that Hoseok had been playing for days. Jin clears his throat, and suddenly all eyes are on him._

_"Everyone dies eventually, Kookie," he states, matter-of-factly, but Jungkook doesn't miss the tone of fear hidden deep beneath the words. "You're just going to die sooner if you don't keep living."_

♕

 

 **SHIPS  
** Jeon Jungkook ( **bts** ) + Kim Yugyeom ( **got7** )  
Park Jimin ( **bts** ) + Min Yoongi ( **bts** )  
Jung Hoseok ( **bts** ) + Kim Taehyung ( **bts** )  
Kim Seokjin ( **bts** ) + Kim Namjoon ( **bts** )

 

  ♕  **  
**

** TABLE OF CONTENTS **

__(will be updated as the story progresses)_ _

**PROLOGUE**

**SAGA ONE:** Home Again  
Chapter One to Chapter

♕

**TRIGGER WARNINGS**

__(possible spoilers ahead, but TW's are important)_  _

Chapters depicting explicit sexual content, that may sometimes fall into the dubious or non-consensual aspect of things, as well as chapters with graphic depictions of violence, self harm, suicide, and talk of mental illness, will have a **trigger warning on the title** depicted by this symbol:  ✘ 

However, at the end of each saga there will be a recap chapter where I describe what happened in each chapter in much less detail so people that avoid the TW chapters will still be able to know what's going on.

♕

 

** PLAYLIST **

__x to be added x_ _

 

♕ _  
_

**© 2017-2018 @syeongyeom (sean). ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.**  

 

 


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "They went looking for the Gods,  
> and died in lonely places."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL IM SO HAPPY THAT IM FINALLY ABLE TO RELEASE THIS STORY I AM SO PROUD OF IT AND HONESTLY I JUST HOPE U GUYS LIKE IT AS MUCH AS I DO!!

_In the year granddad died,  
     we had the worst flood since 1998.   
__Jimin got trapped on top of a dog house._  
     The power was out for two days.  
     Kim Namjoon came by in his dad's boat,   
     and I laughed when I saw him.  
  


_Granddad left me an apple crate of books.  
_ _He loved ghost stories,  
_ _and quoted them to himself in his hospital bed._

_"They went looking for the Gods,_  
          and died in lonely places."  
  


_On his last day,  
_ _he sat up suddenly  
_ _and stare_ _d bug-eyed through the window  
_ _at the old trains,  
_ _rattling to somewhere else -  
_ _from somewhere else._

_He turned to my dad,_  
eyes still wide,  
"this house is haunted,"  
he said.  
And died.

**-**

**DAY ZERO**

 

 **WHEN** Jungkook gets off the train, all by himself, his backpack thrown lazily over his shoulder, the first thing he realizes is that there's absolutely _nobody_ in the station. His eyes wander, searching for the familiar faces of his mom or dad, hoping that maybe they didn't forget and they're just sitting somewhere out of sight. But, as the train takes off behind him, leaving him in the echoing silence of the small station, he realizes that he is completely alone.

     ' _Well, this is great,'_ Jungkook thinks to himself, adjusting the string of his backpack as he starts walking towards nowhere in particular. _'I wasn't, like, expecting a party or anything, but I thought at least someone would be here.'_

     Jungkook stops walking when he reaches the front desk, his body facing the mural on the back wall. He can smell cigarette smoke and soda, and he knows then that he really, truly is home.

     "Welcome home, Kookie." he mutters to himself, his eyes scanning over the mural and his skin prickling at the random rush of cold air that hits him. He swears he can hear a door open somewhere, but he casts it off, not really caring - it was a train station after all, people could come and go as they pleased.

     The mural on the wall is of the railroad tracks, a train riding along them, and the city statue right smack in the middle of it; It's got a long, beige toned banner sweeping across the trees at the bottom of the painting. Jungkook can't help but wonder when they'd put it up; it looks new, it has to be, he hasn't been gone long enough for it to be considered 'old' yet.

     Jungkook snorts when he sees the smiley faced sun in the corner, shining down over the trees and reflecting off of the bright metal of the train tracks. Possum Springs had never looked more falsely advertised, honestly. Here, it was anything _but_ happy sunshine and green trees.

     Jungkook decides to leave the mural alone, and with one last glance, he starts heading closer to the front desk. His heart nearly leaps out of his body when the TV randomly turns on, blasting out the theme music for some random show that Jungkook is pretty sure his dad watches every night. _'Garbo and Malloy'_ or something. Their annoying voices fill the station, bouncing off the walls and entering Jungkook's ears like nails on a chalkboard. He cringes inwardly, his muscles clenching. The silence from before had been bad, but honestly he'd take that any day over having to hear these two weirdo's talk as loud as they were.

     Jungkook quickly grabs his phone from his back pocket, unwrapping his headphones from around it and shoving the buds into his ears faster than he ever has before. He goes to his music app and presses the shuffle button, not really caring about what comes on, only that something shuts up the obnoxious talking coming from the television.

     As music fills his ears, he realizes that nobody is sitting at the front desk. Actually, now that he looks at it, the entire desk seems to be bare, spare for the old-school desktop monitor that sat on it and a random potted plant. Jungkook sighed, rolling his eyes. The station must be closed then, he thinks, since not even a receptionist was here. He decides to just leave, his eyes traveling to the ground and his body instinctively heading toward where he knows the exit is.

     He nearly shits himself when his body collides into another, much colder one that happened to be standing right in front of the exit. His headphones are yanked out of his ears as he falls to the floor, and he looks up at the stranger, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. The looking down at him has jet-black hair, only slightly longer than Jungkook's, parted down the middle and swept off to the sides, and a very strong jawline. Jungkook can't help but think that the man could be a model if he weren't covered in dirt. He doesn't recognize him, though, which is strange since Possum Springs is a small town and he knows almost everyone, but he does notice the tool belt around his waist and he quickly concludes that he must be the janitor.

     The Janitor looks down at him for a moment, before scoffing and turning back toward the exit door to continue whatever it was he was doing. After regaining his composure, Jungkook quickly gets to his feet, grabbing his phone and shoving it into his pocket in the process. He stands awkwardly behind the Janitor, hoping that _maybe_ if he stands there long enough, the Janitor will get the point and let him out without Jungkook having to say anything.

     Unfortunately, though, that isn't the case, and after standing there staring for nearly five minutes, Jungkook gets impatient and clears his throat. The Janitor stops what he's doing and turns slowly to look at Jungkook; it's kind of intimidating, really. Jungkook's breath catches in his throat when his eyes catch the Janitors, and he's not really sure why. His stomach bubbles - not in a good way - and his palms start sweating, but he just pushes that aside and forces himself to speak.

     "U-um, sorry to bother you, but where is everybody?" he asks quietly, cursing himself for stuttering. The Janitors gaze shifts as he shrugs, and Jungkook somehow feels immediately better now that he's not making eye contact with the man.

     "It's 10:45 and the station is closed, so I assume they're all where they need to be." when the Janitor speaks, Jungkook can smell the tobacco on his breath and he flinches backward a bit. "Plus, there's not a lot o' folks gettin' off the last bus to Possum Springs these days. You 'n me are the only ones here."

     The Janitor turns back toward the door, grabbing his drill from off the floor and drilling seemingly aimlessly into the wood. Jungkook's brows furrow in confusion and he bites his lip.

     "W-well, isn't there, like, supposed to be someone at the desk or something?"

     The drilling stops, "closed." and the drilling continues.

     "Then why are the lights on? And the TV, too." Jungkook hears the Janitor let out an exasperated sigh.

     "I get spooked when I'm here all by my lonesome. You done with the questions now, kid? I got a job to do."

     "Oh," Jungkook mutters, and that seems to be the end of the conversation, except the Janitor doesn't move, he just continues drilling away at the wooden door. Jungkook is honestly starting to get a little annoyed and he shoves his balled-up hands in his sweater pockets.

     "Can I, like, squeeze past you?" he asks, his tone coming off as much more annoyed than he meant for it to.

     "Nope." The Janitor replies, matter-of-factly. "Just broke the damn thing."

     Jungkook feels like screaming, he just wants to go home. It had been a long train ride, his legs were sore, _and_ his parents forgot about him, the least this guy could do was let him leave this gross train station.

     "Well, when do you think it'll be fixed?"

     "Right after you go grab me a soda from the machine over there."

     "Sorry, _sir,_ but I don't have any money." Jungkook isn't even trying to hide his pissed off tone now, and he can hear the Janitor snicker under his breath.

     "I rigged the machine. Just go get me a soda, then you can leave."

     Jungkook rolls his eyes, his fists tightening in his pockets, before he turns swiftly on the heels of his feet and makes his way toward the vending machine in the back of the station, over by the end of the mural. His shoes click loudly against the tile floor and he can feel his blood boiling in anger as he's suddenly reminded why he left this stupid town in the first place.

     He hated this place, he really, _really_ did. The people here were all rude - even more so toward him after his had his ' _incident'_ about five years ago _-_ and it was just really a stressful town. The population of Possum Springs was only about 200 people, most of which were old and ready to die at any moment, so Jungkook spent most of his life relatively lonely, save for his best friend from childhood Jimin who had literally be with him every day since he was six up until he left for college. Since most of the population was old, too, they weren't really as accepting as Jungkook had hoped and every time he'd done anything that could be considered relatively ' _sinful',_ he was met with at least two weeks of silence from almost every one in town.

     He hates this damn religious town and all the old people in it.

     Jungkook reaches the soda machine and when he's met with the variety of choices, he realizes that the Janitor didn't tell him what brand he wanted. He groans, eyes rolling back into his head in annoyance. ' _Whatever,'_ Jungkook thinks, his hand going to press a random button on the machine. ' _If the guy was too lazy to come get his own soda, he can just accept whatever I get him.'_

     The machine whirs for a second, then a loud thump in heard and Jungkook reaches down to grab it. It's cold, and his makes his hand hurt, but he doesn't care. He just wants to get out of this damn train station. He turns from the machine and quickly makes his way back to the exit, his footsteps considerably louder than they were before due to how fast he was walking. When he reaches the Janitor, he taps on his shoulder lightly, and the man turns.

     "Here, your soda," Jungkook says, and the Janitor grabs it from the taller boys hand, bringing the drill to the cap and drilling a hole into it. Jungkook's eyes widen, and he takes a step back, slightly intimidated by the man. The Janitor takes a drink from the can, sighing happily.

     "Thanks, kid." The Janitor says, sitting his drill down on the ground. "So, what're you doin' here?"

     "I live here." The Janitor raises his brows and Jungkook sighs. " _Lived_ here."

     The Janitor takes another drink. "Huh. Strange."

     The reply is weird, and it makes Jungkook think that maybe he shouldn't be talking to this complete stranger with no one around, but he shoves the thoughts away, instead hoping that the Janitor will _finally_ let him leave.

     "So, um, when do you think that door's gonna be finished?" he asks, his hand holding tightly onto the strap of his backpack. The Janitor is silent for a moment, before he turns back towards the exit and kicks his drill towards the wall, it hitting the concrete with a loud ' _thump.'_

 _"_ Now." The Janitor states in a monotone voice. "Goodbye." and with that, the Janitor walks out of the exit door, leaving his tool box behind, along with a very confused Jungkook.

**-**

     Jungkook leaves the station quickly after that very weird encounter, and he decides that he'd much rather risk walking through the woods that he knows like the back of his hand than walk along the highway and get hit by a car. He's right outside of town, so it should only take him around an hour to make it all the way home. With that thought in mind, he sighs. He really did not feel like walking nearly three miles tonight, but what other choice does he have?

     He starts the long walk back to his house, his earbuds playing softly in his ears, and his eyes focused on his shoes. The sidewalk beneath him is lit up by the dull, orange glow of the street lamps and a very random, strong wave of nostalgia washes over him. He's reminded of all the times he, Jimin and Jin would sneak out and meet each other at the old abandoned glass factory to have "band rehearsal". The memories of him being a happy, carefree teenager flood his brain and he feels a sort of sad smile creep onto his face. Everything was so simple once.

     The sound of a train horn pulls him out of his thoughts and he looks up in the direction the noise came from. He'd forgotten how much he loves that sound, especially at night, when he was alone. It made it feel like the only things that existed on this planet were him and that single train. His eyes follow each train car as it passes him and he can feel his skin prickling with each new memory that makes it's way back into his brain.

     He may hate this town, but he thinks he loves it just as much.

     He reaches the entrance of the woods fairly quickly and he sighs, staring into the dark, tangled trees. ' _Guess I'm doing this,'_ he thinks, and he takes a step forward, his heart suddenly starts to beat faster in fear. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

     ' _I have to do this. Through the woods is home. My bed.'_

 _'_ ** _And your negligent parents._** ' Another voice in his head suddenly adds in and Jungkook whispers a small, " _shut up,"_ aloud before opening his eyes and taking his first step into the woods.

     His heart is still beating rapidly at the thought of walking through the dark woods all by himself, but he forces himself to continue on anyways. If he's lucky, the homeless guy that had been living under the lost load of logs from the old Sawmill will have found a better place to live; if he's unlucky, that homeless guy will still be there and he'll have to go through the awkward confrontation of telling the man that, no, he does not want to buy any weed, and, no, he doesn't need a new pocket knife.

     Fortunately, he realizes that it's his lucky night when he quietly walks past the old pile of logs and isn't met with a gross, toothless grin. He hurries past the logs, and smiles to himself, when he sees the town park in the distance. His footsteps get faster as he approaches the large, plastic, bright yellow boat. More memories come as he runs his hand along it.

     The park had been abandoned for years, so the paint on the plastic had been chipping, revealing the clear grey colour beneath it. He hadn't been to the park in nearly ten years, and just seeing the old, gross yellow colour had made his stomach do flips. He passes the wooden steering wheel inside of the fake ship, and he lets his hand grab onto one of the knobs and turn it, cringing at the loud squeaking sound it made.

     ' _Okay, enough fooling around. You've gotta get home.'_ So, he lets his hand fall back to his side and he continues walking until he comes to a large, iron fence. He groans loudly, his shoulders slouching, and he finally notices the sharp pain in his left shoulder from holding the heavy backpack for so long. He quickly takes the backpack off of his shoulder and looks at the fence again, eyeing it thoughtfully.

     "Fuck it," he mutters, chucking his backpack over it. He's already made it this far and there was no way in hell a stupid fence was going to make him turn around. Hesitantly, he grabs onto the fence, shaking it a bit to make sure it can hold his weight, before climbing onto it. It's tough, since his feet are too big to fit into the holes of the fence, but he manages and ends up throwing himself over it, falling to the ground and hitting it hard.

     He groans when his shoulder hits the ground roughly, his eyes squeezing shut in pain. Suddenly, though, the darkness behind his eyelids goes from black to red and his body tenses as he hears footsteps. He opens his eyes and, of course with his luck, he sees his Aunt standing there in here police uniform, a flashlight pointed at him and a look of disappointment on her face.

     "Fuck," he mutters, dropping his head so his forehead is against the dirt.

     "Hello, Jungkook. It's been a while." His aunt says, cocking her head to the side.

     Without raising his head, Jungkook replies with a sarcastic, "what are _you_ doing out here?"

     "I'm doing my rounds. I saw you playing on that very _off-limits_ playground."

     "...so?" 

     His aunt rolls her eyes. "Get in the car, Jungkook." Jungkook finally raises his head, leaning up on his elbows.

     " _No_."

     She sighs. "Do you really wanna spend your first night back home in jail?" Jungkook thinks about that, and at first it doesn't sound so bad. He'd be able to avoid his parents longer, at least, but the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that it's probably not a good idea. He groans, pushing himself up so he's standing.

     "...no."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to gimme a kudos if you enjoyed!  
> Also, follow me on tumblr. I take requests for one-shots over there :D  
> universalhobi.tumblr.com


	3. CHAPTER ONE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jungkook decides to go visit his old friend Jimin, but ends up meeting an old love interest instead.
> 
> (hint: it's Yugyeom.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGH ITS UP FINALLY.  
> I am so sorry for the slow updates on this story. I have been so busy with school and editing and stuff, and I haven't had ANY time at all to work on this. Now that it's summer though, I'm hoping to update more frequently. Don't get me wrong, the chapters are still going to be pretty spaced out but I'm going to try and at least get one up every week or two. Please be patient with me, I'm bad at writing long stories!
> 
> THIS CHAPTER IS UNEDITED AS OF NOW TOO, SO IF YOU SEE ANY ERRORS, LET ME KNOW AND I WILL FIX THEM!
> 
> Also, the notes at the end of this chapter are pretty important. I would recommend reading them after you finish this chapter so you're not super confused. Enjoy the story!

**SAGA ONE:  Home Again - Chapter One**

 

 **JUNGKOOK'S** aunt drops him off outside of his house, and Jungkook gets out of the car faster than he ever has in his life, not even waiting to say goodbye to her. He dashes toward the front door of his small, childhood home, but he stops, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

        _Two years._ It had been two years since he'd left, two years since he'd been home, and suddenly he was just...back? Like nothing had ever changed. He somehow just ended up finding himself back in the town that he had been wanting to leave since he was thirteen. The thought sends a shiver down his spine and he grips the doorknob tightly. It was too late for second thoughts now; he'd dropped out, has no money, and couldn't even leave if he tried because he could feel his aunt glaring holes through his back from her patrol car.

       Sighing, Jungkook twists the knob and isn't surprised in the slightest when the door opens. Everyone in this town knew each other, everyone trusted each other, so no one thought locking their doors was important, even at night. 

       Jungkook steps into the dimly lit hallway and he feels refreshed when the cool air from the air conditioning hits him. He can smell the faint scent of roses and burn wood that he'd always associated with home, and he chuckles lightly. He toes off his shoes, kicking them next to the door, and drops his backpack next to them. He rolls his shoulders, groaning when the bones pop and starts making his way into the living room. 

       As he approaches the entrance, he can see his dad lounging on the couch, a soda can in one hand and the TV remote in the other. Jungkook rolls his eyes and walks over beside the couch.

       "Hey, remember me?" He says, crossing his arms, and the can of soda that his dad was holding is suddenly on the floor, followed by a loud, deep shriek coming from his father.

       The older man looks up, features immediately softening when he sees that it's Jungkook standing there. 

       "Kookie, you gave me a heart attack!" his dad says, his breathing heavy.

       "Good!"

       "What..what are you doing home?" Jungkook stays silent at the question, his eyes knowing and his fingers tapping on his arm. Suddenly, his dad's eyes go wide and he lets out a small, "oh.."

       "Kookie, we, uh, we thought you were coming home tomorrow night."

       Jungkook rolls his eyes, "you thought wrong!" He didn't mean to sound as angry as he did, he really didn't even actually mind all that much, but that night had been so stressful and weird, and he just couldn't contain his frustration anymore. His dad flinches back and Jungkook immediately feels sorry.

       "Whatever, doesn't matter," Jungkook mutters, stretching his arms over his head.

       "I'm going to bed. Is my bed still here, or are we waiting until tomorrow night for that too?"

       His dad chuckles, leaning back into the couch cushions. "It's nice to hear your voice again, Kookie."

       "Goodnight," Jungkook says, turning on his heels and running up the stairs. He's just ready to sleep. It's been a long night, his feet hurt, and he wants nothing more than to just get naked and sleep for twelve hours.

       Jungkook hurries up the two flights of stairs that lead to the attic, where his bedroom is. He used to sleep in the room that now belonged to his parents, but once he hit his teenage years, he decided having an entire floor to call his "bedroom" seemed cooler, and that's where he's been ever since. He reaches the door and he pauses for a moment, laughing under his breath when he sees his name carved messily into the wood. He remembers doing that when he was younger, and he can't help but chuckle at the memory of him standing on a chair with a pocket knife that Jimin had let him borrow, carving his name into the door.

       He opens the door softly, and he's immediately met with the smell of wood. It makes him smile. The first thing he sees is his bed up against the back wall and he finds himself walking towards it unconsciously. He sits on the edge of it, taking off his shirt and pants quickly, before burying himself under the blankets and dozing off.

\--

**Day One**

       Jungkook is woken up the next morning by the sun shining in through the window over his bed. He groans, sitting up sleepily, and looks out the window. He can see his dad in the front yard, messing with something near the car. He smiles, it almost feels like he's a teenager again. Almost. 

       Hesitantly, and with a lot of effort, he pulls himself out of bed, standing so he can stretch out his limbs. He yawns, the sound overlapping with the popping of his bones, before walking to his closet and grabbing some random clothes out of it that he hasn't seen in nearly three years. He's not even sure they'll fit him anymore, but he doesn't care. If they don't, he'll just have to go shopping later. 

      The clothes do fit, luckily, and after putting them on, he makes his way downstairs. He wants to see Jimin; it had been so long since he and the older boy had even _talked._ They used to be best friends and it was so weird to Jungkook how they just feel apart after Jungkook went to college.

       Of course, Jimin was supposed to come with Jungkook to college. They'd had it all planned out since middle school. Jimin was going to graduate, then wait a year for Jungkook to graduate, then they were going to buy a house together somewhere - Jungkook always said California, Jimin wanted New York - and they were going to go to college together. Everything went to plan up until Jungkook graduated. Jimin actually waited an extra year for him, and when Jungkook did graduate, they applied to colleges together. However, the only one Jungkook was accepted to, was the only one Jimin had been declined. They found themselves stuck. 

       Then, Jimin got a boyfriend, he started slowly drifting from Jungkook, and Jungkook soon found himself on a train to California alone. He didn't even say goodbye to Jimin. Jimin had been so obsessed with his first _real_ relationship - no, that one time he and Jungkook dated for three weeks in the eighth grade did _not_ count - that he seemed to have just forgotten about Jungkook completely. 

       But, right now, Jungkook didn't care. It had been two years, the magic of the relationship should've worn off by now so Jimin should be ready to continue his friendship with Jungkook, right? Not to mention, Jungkook just _missed_ the orange haired boy. Jimin had always been his best friend, and he missed being around him.

       Right as Jungkook approached the front door, ready to put back on his shoes, he heard someone call out from the kitchen.

       "Honey?" a familiar voice said, and Jungkook smiled at the sound of his mum's voice.

       "Yeah?" Jungkook replied, his smile most likely evident in his voice.

       "Come see me in the kitchen before you leave!" 

       Jungkook turns, heading toward the kitchen. He sits on the counter when he gets there, mumbling out a very happy, "Hi, mum."

      "Welcome home, sweetie!" she says, her voice like honey. She's sitting at the dinner table, a plate of pancakes in front of her, and a book in her hands. She's wearing her church clothes, which isn't uncommon since she works at the church. Jungkook missed her so much. He can't help but stare at her, the smile on his face feeling like it will rip his skin at any moment.

       "Sorry we mixed up the day you were coming back; it was just such short notice and me and your father were confused." Jungkook chuckles.

       "It's okay, mum. I don't mind. Thanks for not changing the locks." It's his mothers turn to laugh now and the sound echoes through the kitchen like church bells, making Jungkook's heart flutter.

       "Kookie, honey." The laughing dies out and her tone becomes a bit more serious. Jungkook's brows furrow in confusion.

       "Yeah?"

       "Is everything okay?" The question catches Jungkook off guard. _Is_ everything okay? He wasn't even really sure. Before he decided to come home, no, everything was not okay. Everything was terrible but in this exact moment? Yes, everything was okay.

       Instead of giving her an answer, he just decides to ask her, "what do you mean?" 

       His mother sighs, setting her book down on the table. "Honey, did something happen that made you want to come home?"

        "No, I just..." Jungkook shakes his head, looking down at his dangling feet. "I just needed to come home, is all."

       "Alright, sweetie. Hopefully, you can understand my worries, though. Usually, a college sophomore doesn't up and leave because they just _want_ to."

       Jungkook bites his lip, "I know."

       "You know you can tell me if something happened."

       Jungkook rolls his eyes, chuckling breathlessly. "Mum, I'm fine. Really. Can we just, like, talk about this another time. Please?"

       Jungkook's mother nods, smiling warmly at him. "Sure, honey, it's okay." She picks up her book again and opens it to the page she left off on, continuing her reading. Jungkook pushes himself off of the counter, his feet hitting the tile floor. Before he can leave, though, his mum speaks again.

       "I bet your old friends will be happy to see you!" she says brightly, not looking up from her book, and Jungkook is suddenly reminded of his initial plans for the day.

       "Oh, yeah, that reminds me!" he says, walking towards the table and leaning his elbows on it. "You wouldn't happen to know where Jimin is, would you?"

       His mother's face lights up at the mention of Jimin's name. He's always been her favourite friend of Jungkook's.

       "Oh, yeah! Jimin's been working down at the Snack Falcon."

        ' _We have a Snack Falcon, now?'_ Jungkook thinks to himself, but he doesn't say it out loud. The town was changing, and he had to accept that. Instead, he just smiles.

       "Thanks, mum. I think I'm going to go over there and say hey."

       "Alright, honey. Have a good time!" Jungkook nods and heads back toward the front door, slipping on his shoes, before walking outside into the cold autumn air.  As much as he talks down on it, he does actually quite like living here. It may be close minded and far too trusting, but this place was - _is? -_ his home and it will always hold a special place in his heart.

       The walk to the Snack Falcon is uneventful. Nothing extraordinary really happens, other than Jungkook experiencing a tidal wave of memories every time he walked past something that wasn't a lamp post. He never realised it until now, but he had a lot of fond memories in this town.

      Like that one time he and Jimin had super-glued every single mailbox on Jungkook's block shut - Jungkook snorts aloud when he sees that there's still some dried up glue hanging from certain boxes. Or the time that Jimin, Yoongi, and Jin had lit Jimin's neighbour's tree on fire. That neighbour had always hated Jimin anyway, but after that day, Jimin was literally banned from being within fifty feet of the man's yard - he couldn't even go on the left side of his front or backyard; how dumb is that!?

       Jungkook is pulled out of his thoughts rather abruptly when he bumps into someone for the second time in the last twenty-four hours. This time, though, he's prepared and instead of falling flat on his ass alone, he grabs the person he ran into by their shirt and drags them down with him. 

       It takes a minute for Jungkook to grasp what just happened, but when he does, he can feel embarrassment flood through his entire body, the tips of his ears burning as the person on top of him groans. The person - a male, Jungkook knew, at least - lifted himself up and off of Jungkook, leaning back onto his knees and rubbing the back of his neck with a pained expression. Jungkook's eyes widen when he sees who it is.

       A smile tugs at the corners of Jungkook's lips and he sits up quickly.

       "Yugyeom?" he asks, and the boy's eyes shoot open. He looks Jungkook up and down once before his face lights up.

       "Jungkookie!" he yells, and suddenly Jungkook's back is against the sidewalk again, only this time the cold pavement is blocked off by a warm body pressed against his, strong arms wrapping around his body, making Jungkook feel a lot tinier than he actually is. 

       Vaguely aware that they're still in public, Jungkook pushes at Yugyeom's chest lightly and Yugyeom pulls away but doesn't move completely, still straddling Jungkook's hips.

       "What are you doing home, hyung!?" he asks excitedly and Jungkook's heart leaps into his throat. 

       "I-I, uh, quit college," he mutters and Yugyeom's brows furrow, but his smile doesn't fade. Jungkook feels so awkward with Yugyeom literally sitting on top of him _in public_ , even though no one is around, and he lightly taps on Yugyeom's hips, hoping that the younger would get the point and move, but unfortunately, Yugyeom stays where he is.

        _'It's even worse because it's him,'_ Jungkook thinks to himself, and he gulps at the sudden onslaught of dirty thoughts that fills his brain. _'He looks pretty like this right now, but can you imagine him like this while naked? Just you and him, no clothes, only skin, his body flush against yo-'_

       "Kookie-hyung?" Jungkook chokes on his spit when he's suddenly reminded that the boy he's thinking about is on top of him and he looks up at Yugyeom.

       "Y-yeah?"

       "I asked if you were back for good."

       Jungkook smiles softly, exhaling through his nose. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

\--

       Jungkook definitely did _not_ mean to spend the entire morning sitting up against a wall talking to Yugyeom, but life is full of surprises, he supposes, because that ended up being exactly what he did. He and Yugyeom talked about everything and anything, ranging from how Yugyeom decided not to go to university, to Jungkook's somewhat new obsession with writing - to which Yugyeom responded by making Jungkook promise to show him one of his journals one day.

       They talked for hours about anything they could think of, and, honestly, it was nice. It had been a while since Jungkook had just sat down and talked to someone like that. He hadn't had many friends at university, definitely none that he was close to, and before he'd left, Jimin had been infatuated with Yoongi. As he thinks about it, he guesses it must've been around four years since he'd just sat down and _talked_ to someone. It was especially nice, though, because it was Yugyeom that he was talking to.

       Yugyeom had always been one of Jungkook's best friends, following closely behind Jimin. Yugyeom was a year younger than Jungkook, and they had met in school during Jungkook's sophomore year when he had to retake a freshman class he'd failed the year prior. Yugyeom made the first move, going to sit next to the boy because he "looked lonely", as Yugyeom had put it. Listen, Jungkook doesn't believe in love at first sight, but if he did, then he would definitely think that's what he experienced that day.

       He'd always had a thing for Yugyeom, but he'd never worked up the courage to say anything. He planned to, one day, but then he left for college, and though the feelings went with him, Yugyeom stayed put and so did Jungkook's unspoken confession. They hadn't talked since Jungkook left, but Yugyeom seemed to be almost the exact same as Jungkook remembers him being.

       Of course, his appearance had changed quite a bit. Instead of the natural black hair that Jungkook remembered, Yugyeom had dyed it a dulled-down red colour, and it fit him _perfectly,_ in Jungkook's opinion. He'd gotten taller as well. Not by very much, but Jungkook did notice that he was now about an inch or two shorter than the younger boy. From an outsiders perspective, Yugyeom must've looked a lot older than he actually was, but Jungkook knew him, and Jungkook knew that he was really still the five-year-old trapped in a 19-year-old's body.

       "Have you seen Jimin, yet?" Yugyeom asks, and Jungkook shakes his head.

       "No, actually. That was what I was going to do before I was so rudely interrupted." Yugyeom chuckles shyly, looking down at the sidewalk.

       "He misses you a lot. When you left, you were, like, all he talked about. I think Yoongi-hyung was even scared that Jimin loved you more than he loved him."

       Jungkook snorts, "of course Jimin loves me more; I'm his best friend. Yoongi-hyung is a homewrecker."

       Yugyeom's nose scrunches, "aren't homewreckers people that wreck actual relationships? You and Jimin-hyung weren't dating, were you?"

       Jungkook smiles brightly, "no, no. A lot of people thought we were because we've always been super close and comfortable with each other, but we never actually dated; I was only joking. He was my first kiss, though."

       "Wha- really?!" Yugyeom's eyes widen in surprise and Jungkook shrugs.

       "Yeah, at the end of eighth grade. We were both confused about our sexualities and thought we would test it out on each other. It was nice, and I'm happy my first kiss was with him, but there weren't, like, fireworks or anything. We both agreed to just, like, never speak of it again."

      "And you just...went back to being normal friends. Nothing changed?" Jungkook nods and Yugyeom's mouth falls open slightly in awe.

       "Wow. That's true friendship, right there. I'm gonna be honest, I still haven't had my first kiss."

       Jungkook's body goes stiff at the statement, his hands suddenly feeling a lot sweatier than they did a moment ago.  He chuckles awkwardly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.

       "R-really?" he asks, avoiding eye contact, and Yugyeom nods.

       "Just haven't found _the one,"_  he states sarcastically, and Jungkook chuckles again.

       "Well, I'm sure you'll find them soon," Jungkook says, smiling awkwardly before pulling his phone out of his 

       "Ah, fuck," Jungkook mutters, standing from his spot against the wall and stretching out his arms, "I've gotta go if I wanna see Jimin today." 

       Yugyeom smiles, holding out his hand. Jungkook takes it and pulls him up so they're standing next to each other.

       "Alright. This was fun, though. We should do it again!"

       Jungkook blushes, looking down at his feet, "y-yeah. Um, maybe somewhere that isn't the sidewalk next time, though." Yugyeom giggles, a sound that makes Jungkook's entire body feel like it's floating.

       "Definitely. Go find Jimin, now, Jungkookie-hyung. I'll see you around!" Yugyeom pulls Jungkook into a hug and suddenly Jungkook is enveloped by the strong scent of cotton candy and vanilla. He smiles softly, wrapping his arms around the younger's torso and inhaling deeply. His eyes fall shut as he does so and he can't help but think that he'd be content staying like this for the rest of his life.

       Sadly, though, that is impossible, and Yugyeom pulls away after a moment, smiling at Jungkook brightly.

       After muttering a quick, " _goodbye,"_ they part ways and Jungkook finally gets back on track. The rest of the walk to the Snack Falcon is quiet, only Jungkook and his thoughts, along with the occasional passerby. When he approaches the small convenience store, he can see Jimin through the glass walls and his heart thumps loudly in his chest. The first thing that comes to Jungkook's mind when he sees him is, ' _damn, the boy's grown quite a bit.'_

And it was true, Jimin had grown a lot since the last time Jungkook saw him. Jungkook remembered Jimin being short, chubby, and pale, but now Jimin was almost the exact opposite. _Almost._ Jimin was still short, but he definitely was _not_ chubby or pale anymore. He seemed to grow into his body, his skin got much tanner - boy did it suit him, too. 

       After a moment of staring at his old best friend through the window, probably looking like a total creep, he decides that he should go in to avoid looking like a bigger pervert than he already did. Hesitantly, Jungkook opens the doors and when he hears the bells go off his heart leaps into his throat. It had been _so_ long since he'd seen Jimin, and he was suddenly terrified of even being in the same building as him.

       With one last deep exhale, he forces his body to move toward the counter that Jimin is at, and when the boy looks up, his eyes widen.

       "Oh. My. God." Jimin mutters in awe, and Jungkook can't help but notice that his voice had gotten much deeper as well.

       Jungkook smiles shyly, "h-hey, Jimin."

       "What are you doing here!?" A large smile makes its way onto Jimin's face and Jungkook chuckles; Jimin's appearance might have changed quite a bit, but it's becoming increasingly obvious that his personality hasn't.

       "I quit college. I'm back for good, now!" 

       Jimin smiles, leaning forward on the counter, and resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

       "Too bad you didn't die at college." Jungkook rolls his eyes.

       "Too bad you didn't catch a flesh-eating disease."

       "Too bad you didn't join a murder cult."

       "Too bad you didn't lose all your limbs in a freak soda machine accident."

       Jimin smiles widely and makes his way around the counter, walking toward Jungkook and pulling him into a strong hug.

       "God, I've missed you!" he whispers happily, and Jungkook smiles, wrapping his arms around Jimin's waist and holding on tightly. He buries his face in Jimin's shoulder and inhales, his body shuddering at the familiar scent of his best friend. He wants to say that he missed Jimin too, that Jimin was one of the main reasons he even dropped out, but he can't bring himself to talk. He's too afraid that his voice will fail him, that instead of words he would end up sobbing and he does _not_ want to cry in front of Jimin on his first official day back.

       They stay like that for a while, just holding onto each other in the middle of a convenience store, and Jungkook couldn't help but feel sad when Jimin pulls away. He doesn't say anything though and instead just decides to lean against the counter and stare at Jimin. He probably looks weird, the look in his eyes is probably far too loving, and Jimin can probably see it plain as day but Jungkook really doesn't care. He just wants to stare at Jimin, no matter how weird he looks.

       Jimin is the one to break the silence when he really excitedly exclaims, "come to band practice!"

       Jungkook's eyes widen, "Oh, my God. The band is still a thing?"

       Jimin shrugs, "Yeah! 'Course it is."

       "Well, when's practice?"

       "Now!" Jimin grabs Jungkook's hand and starts running toward the exit of the store. Two years ago, Jungkook probably would have found the action annoying, but in this moment he couldn't help but smile at the feeling of Jimin's hand in his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so, just so nobody is confused: Jimin and Jungkook are not love interests! 
> 
> I know I kind of made it sound like Jungkook was crushing on Jimin, but I promise he's not. He's just feeling a lot of emotions because Jimin is his best friend and he hasn't seen him in two years, okay? Jimin and Yoongi are together in this fic, and I'm planning on making Yugyeom Jungkook's love interest. Got it? Cool :D
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter, you should comment. I promise you that if I got more comments on my stories I would upload chapters so much faster than I do lmao.


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